The Top 10 Text Message Marketing Trends To Look Out For [2023]

As text message marketing explodes in popularity, private as well as public industries turn to text message marketing as a viable communication and marketing channel.  

Text message marketing allows users to send communications that range from promotional marketing messages to public safety messages and everything in between. As such, text message marketing continues to trend up. 

Text message marketing maintains engagement because we decide to receive it in the first place. SMS marketing campaigns use permission-based marketing, unlike the spam phone calls customers avoid. For these reasons and more, text message marketing’s popularity keeps rising.

We all know about the prevalence of cell phones. In fact, one study of millennials shows that 93% use a smartphone. Customers rarely shut off their phones and check their phones several times throughout the day. 

Let’s discuss the top 10 text message marketing trends to look out for in 2023. 

1. SMS for customer service

One of the top SMS marketing use cases is an area that’s more important than ever – customer service. The benefits of business text messages include real-time communication. This allows for faster response rates and a convenient communication method for the customer. 

Customer service makes or breaks a business. If you deliver a consistent, white glove, and top-level customer experience, you gain loyal customers for life. This explains why the trend of SMS for customer service continues to prevail, as brands work to keep VIP customers just a text away. 

One survey shows that 96% of customers said the level of customer service was a top factor for whether or not they continue their business relationship with companies for a product or service. Higher customer demands and expectations mean brands want to tap into every way to engage with customers, such as on their mobile devices. 

The stakes to win new customers increase, and more businesses then use SMS customer service messaging. Today, discover a few text message marketing trends in customer service.

2. Send SMS promo codes and discounts

Everyone loves a deal! Customers who opt-in to receive SMS messages from businesses agree to receive texts with promotional codes, discounts, and more. 

With this trend, the segmentation of customer lists for targeted text message campaigns only becomes more prevalent. Top brands know to include promotional message strategies and integrate them with their overall marketing plans. 

The use of SMS marketing also commonly trends for events, such as annual sale events, customer appreciation days, and other promotional types of events. With events set to return full-throttle post-pandemic, we expect to see more SMS promotional marketing for events in 2023.

3. Increase use of text bot conversations

Let’s face it – we surround ourselves with busy customers and lives. Customers want businesses to answer their questions now. 

Chatbots and text bots naturally become more popular to enhance customer support and the entire customer experience.

Chatbots aren’t new. In fact, the global chatbot market was valued at $3.78 billion in 2021. With more demand for live chats and an increase in SMS marketing adoption, we expect to see an increase in the use of text bot conversations.

4. Cross-sells using SMS and social media

Social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, easily became powerful marketing tools for brands. When you integrate SMS and social media for cross-selling, it makes social media platforms that much more effective. 

Cross-selling with SMS continues to grow as social media-savvy brands rapidly combine these two powerhouse mediums. 

5. The expansion of all SMS marketing numbers

If you plan to send SMS marketing messages, you’ll want to get up to speed on A2P 10DLC, which translates to application-to-person business messaging. 10DLC means 10-digit long code. 

There are also toll-free and short code numbers to consider. With more businesses set to use text marketing, we predict the expansion of all SMS marketing numbers to trend in 2023.

6. Customer retention using SMS

Conversational marketing, or two-way conversations, impressively helps customer engagement. With a thoughtful SMS marketing strategy, a business really stands out – especially in highly competitive industries. 

Businesses then use text messaging more and more to promptly answer customer questions, improve sales, and promote customer loyalty and retention. 

7. New SMS regulations cutting down on spam

In 2021, over 47 billion spam texts were sent, and thankfully, new SMS regulations then curb the spam volume. With over 14,000 complaints in 2020 to the FCC, researchers predict more regulations. 

We must remember the importance of opt-ins from customers, best practices for permission-based marketing, and the choice to partner with an SMS platform that understands how to navigate operations. 

8. SMS integrates with multi-channel marketing efforts

Say goodbye to the days of marketing campaigns on a single channel with a wait-and-see approach. Marketing integrates more fully over time, and a campaign often spans multiple channels and platforms. 

SMS trends for 2023 point to further integration of SMS marketing alongside multi-channel marketing tactics with cross-channel, integrated campaigns. Some of the same testing and measuring in campaign effectiveness in digital channels arise in SMS marketing. This includes split A/B testing with campaigns and ROI analysis. 

Marketing channels then work in tandem, and businesses increasingly target their advertising spends. This occurs as more cost-effective marketing strategies, such as SMS marketing, continue to prove their effectiveness and reach.

9. SMS works for more than just marketing

SMS marketing in business keeps broadening, and it’s not solely for sales. Marketing that provides information and updates, otherwise known as transactional SMS marketing, also continues to grow in popularity. These types of quick, informative texts elevate customer relationships through mobile messaging. 

When you hear the term “transactional,” you may immediately think of the exchange of money, or associate it with sales for a product or service. But, transactional SMS messages encompasses a broader meaning. 

Transactional SMS messaging includes appointment confirmation text messages from your dentist, a restaurant reservation update, or an alert that your order shipped. The use of non-marketing transactional SMS messages then continues to grow as a key customer touchpoint. 

With the growth of ecommerce, businesses with SMS for order updates rapidly and continuously become more popular. 

10. More influencers use SMS marketing

Influencers work effectively because, outside of the celebrity influencers, they’re real people who resonate with their target audiences. These individuals build trust because of their authenticity. 

Top influencers want to broaden their reach and expand how they communicate with followers. Through SMS marketing, influencers gain another communication channel to reach their audience. 

Brands with a large influencer following find enormous opportunities with SMS marketing. Influencers often create lists of followers and promote products with a simple text message. The list comes from a social media platform, such as Instagram or TikTok, for example. 

This trend continues to evolve as savvy influencers see SMS marketing as the fastest way to expand their influence, grow, and retain followers. 

How TextSanity helps

TextSanity leads in SMS marketing and caters to a wide range of industries. We help with event messaging, enterprise messaging, dedicated short codes, automated campaigns, and more.

Now that you know the top trends in SMS marketing, consider how SMS enhances your business, creates efficiencies and helps retain loyal customers.